Ford Mustang review and call for car suggestions

I drive a pickup, but I really miss something that's fun to drive. So, I'll keep the pickup no matter what and maybe buy something used that's fun.

I definitely want a manual transmission no matter what I get and was targeting a post-2015 (model change year) used, low miles V6 Mustang because I'd prefer the lower vibration than a 4 banger and nicer exhaust note. I also have a perhaps no longer valid fear of turbocharger wear and lag.

HOWEVER, the selection of 2015 and newer manual transmission V6 Mustangs is lousy (heck, manual transmission anything is too rare). After watching the first video below, I'm reconsidering my preference for the V6 Mustang.

Looking for comments and suggestions, even suggestions for something other than a Mustang.

4 Cylinder Ford Mustang - Car Review with Scotty Kilmer

[video=youtube;PYRTWgqvIaw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYRTWgqvIaw[/video]

Why Not to Buy a V6 Car (Inline 4 Cylinder vs V6 Engine)

[video=youtube;qGrtbd9cdEU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGrtbd9cdEU[/video]

I am not sure why the big three don't seem to be able to bring to market a 4 cylinder that doesn't sound and vibrate like a sewing machine, but it is possible. Both the Japanese and Germans have 4 cylinder motors that perform well enough, relativity speaking.

I don't believe that it has anything to do with a lack of engineering capabilities in behalf of the big three. Not to go down the conspiracy theory road but I wonder if part of it is outside interest, from players like the oil industry. Or is it simply cultural and the big three responding to the market.

I had plenty of fun in my automotive electronics testing days driving the auto V6 2015 mustang, but I'm a simple man. The only manual Mustang I drove was the V8, that was fun to learn manual on.

Depends what u are looking for, I did not like my v6 2012, was cheaply made, latches broke, was buzzy, trunk lid size made trunk space unusable, it's really a two seater, only small children can fit in the back, much happier with my challenger as a daily driver, big trunk, fits five adults very comfortable, I prefer the look as well.

I'd suggest something from the 1960's, 1970's or 1980's. Pretty basic, easy to maintain and they hold their value. I've owned Ford and Chevy's and it's been my experience that parts for Chevy's are more plentiful, and they are easier to work on.

One of my dream cars is the Subaru Imperza STI.. fast & nimble, and AWD. After that it might be the Lotus Esprit or an Audi TT, or even the boss' Audi A7

As mentioned in another post, I'm not big of 'big numbers' but prefer manoeuverability over brute force / sheer speed.. I feel US cars are designed with big numbers in mind, and 0-60 in a straight line.

I've come to understand the US (N. American) market is geared (Pun?) towards automatic, so manual is hard to find. Period. I too, much prefer manual.

dr wogz said:

One of my dream cars is the Subaru Imperza STI.. fast & nimble, and AWD. After that it might be the Lotus Esprit or an Audi TT, or even the boss' Audi A7

As mentioned in another post, I'm not big of 'big numbers' but prefer manoeuverability over brute force / sheer speed.. I feel US cars are designed with big numbers in mind, and 0-60 in a straight line.

I've come to understand the US (N. American) market is geared (Pun?) towards automatic, so manual is hard to find. Period. I too, much prefer manual.

Click to expand...

Almost everything is going the way of automatic transmissions now, for a couple of reasons. Automatics no longer have worse fuel economy than manuals, they now have better fuel economy when paired with modern ecu's. Maintenance autos are easier on the rest of the drivetrain especially when inexperienced drivers are behind the wheel. More and more people like autos for the convienence of put it in drive and forget about it. Even big trucks and trucking companies are switching more and more to Automatics and Auto-shifts (not so fondly referred to as auto-sh$%ts by myself), we just got two new dump trucks with Eaton Fuller 10 speeds that are a type of automatic using a manual type tranny with a xy auto shifter and computer controlled clutch. Personally I prefer manuals in all my vehicles, but currently only my semi's have them.

Trans-Am driver... look at any 98-02 chevy or Pontiac... LS-1's with 6 gears to row through. Way too much fun.

Two point possibly worth noting:

1) I learned to drive a stick on my Dad's 4-cylinder Mustang back in the early eighties,, so it was probably a mid-to late 70's vintage. Four banger or not, it could flat out haul.

2) I owned a 4-cylinder, turbo charged, 1988 Ford Thunderbird back in the early 90's and it's still the favorite car I've ever owned. Not much "turbo lag" to speak of, cornered like it was stuck to the road with glue, accelerated as good from 60 to 80 as most cars do from a standing start so passing was *never* a problem, and I got 500 miles on a tank of gas. The only reason I sold it was because we had a baby and it was too hard to put a car seat in a two door.

Hopefully, Mario Purdue will see this thread. He has a newish Mustang now and I'm sure he can contribute something here.

One of my favorite Youtube car reviewers did a good bit comparing the Ecoboost with the V-8.

[video=youtube;mqXj8wbg7IU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqXj8wbg7IU[/video]

I drove a GT on the track that had gone through the Shelby American treatment. It was a ton of fun and the V-8 sound was intoxicating.

[video=youtube;FILwcm0vEmQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FILwcm0vEmQ[/video]

I recently decided to sell my Porsche so I could have something fun where I could still drive the kids in, since so much of my driving requires that now. I ended up early adopting a Kia Stinger GT. Pretty thrilled with it so far, the interior is miles ahead of the Mustang and lots of room for people and cargo. No manual option, though.

That looks really nice, I will say that I don't miss my manual any more since I drive in traffic a lot, the sport/paddle shift gets me what I want on curvy roads.

Peartree said:

Two point possibly worth noting:

1) I learned to drive a stick on my Dad's 4-cylinder Mustang back in the early eighties,, so it was probably a mid-to late 70's vintage. Four banger or not, it could flat out haul.

2) I owned a 4-cylinder, turbo charged, 1988 Ford Thunderbird back in the early 90's and it's still the favorite car I've ever owned. Not much "turbo lag" to speak of, cornered like it was stuck to the road with glue, accelerated as good from 60 to 80 as most cars do from a standing start so passing was *never* a problem, and I got 500 miles on a tank of gas. The only reason I sold it was because we had a baby and it was too hard to put a car seat in a two door.

Hopefully, Mario Purdue will see this thread. He has a newish Mustang now and I'm sure he can contribute something here.

Click to expand...

Two weeks before my son was born, I went and bought a '73 Barracuda. Getting a kid in and out of a two door car was never a problem for me. It's all a state of mind. One day I went to pick my son up from day care, came out, got him in when two spaces over a guy in some mind numbing mini van pipes up and asks "How did you convince the wife?". I thought to myself, "I know what your problem is". To which I had replied, "She buys what she wants, I buy what I want". What a novel concept.

Winston said:

I definitely want a manual transmission no matter what I get and was targeting a post-2015 (model change year) used, low miles V6 Mustang because I'd prefer the lower vibration than a 4 banger and nicer exhaust note. I also have a perhaps no longer valid fear of turbocharger wear and lag.

HOWEVER, the selection of 2015 and newer manual transmission V6 Mustangs is lousy (heck, manual transmission anything is too rare). After watching the first video below, I'm reconsidering my preference for the V6 Mustang.

Looking for comments and suggestions, even suggestions for something other than a Mustang.

Click to expand...

What are your budget and intended modes of fun?
Cruising in the mountains with the top down?
AutoXing?
Tracking the car for DEs?
Need back seat for kids or adult passengers?

Answers to the above questions are essential to volunteering a meaningful advise!

As far as fun, manual tranny track capable cars go, the choices are getting slimmer and slimmer these days.
Your preference for MY'15 cars suggests you still want something at the tail end of factory warranty, at ~$20K or thereabouts.

A few 2-seater american cars might qualify, but good ones will be far north of 20K: 350R and/or Z06/Z07.
I rented a few baseline Mustangs recently (rear seats are about as usable as those in 911), both 4-cylinder turbos and V6s, and was disappointed. Handling was sloppy, visibility in all directions was crap, and acceleration was underwhelming. If you want a Mustang, save for at least 350R.

Otherwise, Porsche and BMW still make great manual sports cars, and both are loads of fun on track and on the street.
More recent samples of both brands will be way north of your target price range, but definitely worth the test drive to set up the right expectations of what a fun car should be. You can find a MY'15 Cayman and/or an M3 for mid 40s.

330/335 might be an acceptable compromise in your price range.
Go and start test driving!

YMMV,
a

Miata? or even a Mazda3? Plenty of fun to drive.....but a different sort of state of mind than Mustangs/Camaros/Challengers and such.

The Mazda SkyActive 2.0 four-cylinder is almost as smooth as an electric car....and I can say that with confidence as our two current vehicles are a 2013 Mazda3 5-door (six-speed manual) and a Kia Soul EV (one-speed electric). At the moment the Soul EV is our short-trip car and the Mazda for longer trips or when my wife and I have to go separate places at the same time. I'll be driving it to NARAM-60, which will be the third trip from here (Seattle area) to Pueblo, Colorado it has done for rocket events.

I agree with Frank that in traffic the one-speed aspect of the Soul EV really is appreciated....as is its low-speed acceleration.

I have a 2017 Mustang convertible with the eco boost 4 cylinder motor. LOVE IT! Go test drive one. It kicks a$$!

Go older, go V8, you will not regret it!

In 1996 I bought a brand new V8 convertible GT that looked like the one below (internet pic, not mine). I drove that like a boss and got more than my share of speeding tickets, got pulled over about 3 times for every 1 ticket I actually got. It had an Alpine sound system that costs more than I care to admit. And I drove that car until I couldn't afford to have it fixed again and sold it to a guy for a "fixer upper".

That car is how I got my AOL address, which has become my forum name on all the forums I've joined since then. I really miss that car!!

But I do love my Jeep.

Flyfalcons said:

One of my favorite Youtube car reviewers did a good bit comparing the Ecoboost with the V-8.

[video=youtube;mqXj8wbg7IU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqXj8wbg7IU[/video]

I drove a GT on the track that had gone through the Shelby American treatment. It was a ton of fun and the V-8 sound was intoxicating.

[video=youtube;FILwcm0vEmQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FILwcm0vEmQ[/video]

I recently decided to sell my Porsche so I could have something fun where I could still drive the kids in, since so much of my driving requires that now. I ended up early adopting a Kia Stinger GT. Pretty thrilled with it so far, the interior is miles ahead of the Mustang and lots of room for people and cargo. No manual option, though.

Click to expand...

THANKs for those two very informative videos. Also, nice car! From my quick research, the Kia Stinger GT has only been available since 2017, so not much of a used inventory. I'd be fully satisfied with its paddle shifters, probably liking them even more than a stick. Anything other than just sitting there...

mpitfield said:

I am not sure why the big three don't seem to be able to bring to market a 4 cylinder that doesn't sound and vibrate like a sewing machine, but it is possible. Both the Japanese and Germans have 4 cylinder motors that perform well enough, relativity speaking.

I don't believe that it has anything to do with a lack of engineering capabilities in behalf of the big three. Not to go down the conspiracy theory road but I wonder if part of it is outside interest, from players like the oil industry. Or is it simply cultural and the big three responding to the market.

Click to expand...

From the Ecoboost 4 cylinder Mustang reviews I've watched, they've avoided the vibration problems, but the exhaust note is simply not fixable:

The 2015 (and newer) Ford Mustang EcoBoost Fakes Its Engine Noise

https://jalopnik.com/the-2015-ford-mustang-ecoboost-fakes-its-engine-noise-1638853878

"That's right: the Mustang, the original pony car, an American performance icon, has resorted to pumping augmented engine noise in through the speakers, much like modern turbocharged BMWs do. This makes me kind of sad."

The 4 banger exhaust note from the exterior is of the adolescent rice burner/street racer variety. As a result, I do not like it...:

[video=youtube;OtVVGjYpxvQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtVVGjYpxvQ[/video]

rharshberger said:

Almost everything is going the way of automatic transmissions now, for a couple of reasons. Automatics no longer have worse fuel economy than manuals, they now have better fuel economy when paired with modern ecu's.

Click to expand...

And it's not only buyers that are more concerned about fuel economy. Due to fleet fuel economy government regulations, manufacturers are less keen about manuals.

Trump's EPA Orders Revision of Fuel Economy Rules
April 02, 2018

https://www.truckinginfo.com/channe...pa-orders-revision-of-fuel-economy-rules.aspx

"The Obama-era rules had rankled automakers because they aimed to reduce emissions from cars and light trucks by requiring a fleet average of 50 miles per gallon by 2025."

Insane and was simply a backhanded way to FORCE the adoption of electric vehicles.

Do you have a budget range? I may have overlooked it, but that would help in narrowing your options.

My last fun to drive car was a Ford Probe GT. It had a V6 with a great exhaust note (Ford had worked hard to get that, I read) and drove like it was on rails. One of the car magazines also rated it as the most comfortable driver's position of all reviewed that year. Seating seemed very low to the ground and that felt great. Loved the interior. Absolutely no rattles, buzzes, or squeaks of any kind. All one could hear was the exhaust note. Steering feel was great. 5 speed gearbox was fantastic - short shifting throw and positive feel. Click, click, click...

I loved the car and would have bought another one if Ford hadn't dropped the model. Why did they drop it? From what I read it was because they already had a sporty model called the Mustang. I preferred the more European curves of the Probe GT. However, the exterior lines and interior of the 2015 and beyond Mustangs are now much more to my liking than any of those in the past.

The photo below is exactly like the Probe GT I owned which I bought new. I absolutely would not settle for anything other than the Rio Red color seen on the car's brochure cover (why wouldn't they choose it's best color?) with manual transmission, so they had to transfer the one and only one available in the state from another dealer. Several salesmen were standing around it admiring it when I picked it up and said, yes, that's the best color.



Whatever I buy Mustang-wise is going to look like the one below. Stripes will be painted by a quality paint shop since mine won't be a GT, so the option would not have been available from the factory. Color is very important to me and most of the 201X and newer Mustangs I can find used on-line are in incredibly ugly colors that people bought new off the lot probably because they had no other choice or it was that or some other even more ugly color. I don't NEED this car, so I can be more picky. Either Ingot Silver with stripes or Race Red without.

Winston said:

My last fun to drive car was a Ford Probe GT. It had a V6 with a great exhaust note (Ford had worked hard to get that, I read) and drove like it was on rails. One of the car magazines also rated it as the most comfortable driver's position of all reviewed that year. Seating seemed very low to the ground and that felt great. Loved the interior. Absolutely no rattles, buzzes, or squeaks of any kind. All one could hear was the exhaust note. Steering feel was great.

I loved the car and would have bought another one if Ford hadn't dropped the model. Why did they drop it? From what I read it was because they already had a sporty model called the Mustang. I preferred the more European curves of the Probe GT. However, the exterior lines and interior of the 2015 and beyond Mustangs are now much more to my liking than any of those in the past.

The photo below is exactly like the Probe GT I owned which I bought new. I absolutely would not settle for anything other than the Rio Red color seen on the car's brochure cover (why wouldn't they choose it's best color?) and they had to transfer the one and only one available in the state from another dealer. Several salesmen were standing around it admiring it when I picked it up and said, yes, that's the best color.

Click to expand...

I worked as a business manager in the automotive industry for a number of years in my early to mid 20s and I drove almost everything including a Probe GT. It was one of my favourite cars and even though it was based on the MX6 platform, which I also drove, I liked the styling and drive much more.

Funny story now, but not so much back then. My girlfriend at the time was parking the car while I ran into a store. She revered into the spot but drove too far back and the rear bumpber-skin hooked over the rebar that wasn't quite driven all the way into one of those portable parking lot curbs. This wasn't the bad part, after she drove over the spike she heard a noise and instead of stopping to get out to have a look, she decided it would be better to pull forward.

Needless to say when I came out of the store there she was standing beside the car crying. At first I had no idea what she was crying about then I saw the rear bumper-skin laying about 2 feet behind the car. This was a 2 week old red Probe GT.

I have fond memories of the car, the girlfriend not so much.

IIRC from the movie "A Faster Horse" (a movie about Mustang design history), the Probe was supposed to be the next gen Mustang after the Mustang II, however the screams of anguish from the Mustang crowd was so loud Ford actually listened.

Yeah...how dare they replace a Pinto-based Mustang with one based on a Mazda!

rharshberger said:

IIRC from the movie "A Faster Horse" (a movie about Mustang design history), the Probe was supposed to be the next gen Mustang after the Mustang II, however the screams of anguish from the Mustang crowd was so loud Ford actually listened.

Click to expand...

I had no idea that the Probe was supposed to be a successor in any way to the Mustang. Whenever I saw it, all I saw was a more stylish Escort/economy car. None of the advertising at the time (that I saw) ever have me reason to rethink that perception.

Make sure the make and model doesn't have sunroof drain clog issues. This is a problem on Volvo 03-09 all models very expensive. Totaled over a 58 cent rubber elbow in an non accessible spot by the way it was manufactured and designed. Any mustang should be far superior, but research. Car complaints usually has people whine of problems any car. My 07 S40T5 made it to a 141k. Stay away from certain volvos is the only advice I have. The new ones got recalls and the old ones got discounted but have same interior flooding not recalled and a $3k-6k repair.

Peartree said:

I had no idea that the Probe was supposed to be a successor in any way to the Mustang. Whenever I saw it, all I saw was a more stylish Escort/economy car. None of the advertising at the time (that I saw) ever have me reason to rethink that perception.

Click to expand...

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a5966/the-front-wheel-drive-probe-was-almost-a-mustang/

Titan II said:

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a5966/the-front-wheel-drive-probe-was-almost-a-mustang/

Click to expand...

It was a little more current than my memory but spot on, thanks for the link Titan II.

mpitfield said:

I am not sure why the big three don't seem to be able to bring to market a 4 cylinder that doesn't sound and vibrate like a sewing machine, but it is possible. Both the Japanese and Germans have 4 cylinder motors that perform well enough, relativity speaking.

I don't believe that it has anything to do with a lack of engineering capabilities in behalf of the big three. Not to go down the conspiracy theory road but I wonder if part of it is outside interest, from players like the oil industry. Or is it simply cultural and the big three responding to the market.

Click to expand...

Gasoline prices in Europe can be more than double US pump prices.... not sure about your prices in Canada. Also some countries tax on engine displacement. Hence the proliferation of DOHC four bangers and diesel. Not sure what the allure is of a V6 Mustang....or even a newer four cylinder..... just personal preference, I guess. I think a test drive an any newer era Mustang GT would be hard to walk away from.